Electric snap-switch



D. HJORTH.

ELECTRIC SNAP SWITCH. nAPPLICATION FILED FEB.24;1919.

1,379,519. Patenped May-31,1921.

Don-Elli' or77 lt/tama as? narran stares' career ipatrice.

DAVID HJORTH, orianinenronr, CoNNnCTIcunassreNon ToMTHnCfiiNNmiLy MACHINE a NANUrACTUniNe Co., on Braine-nrcan CoNNNCTrC/UT,A A cog- PORATION or CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRC SNAPSVITCH.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. Patgmtgd 31, ,1921.

I Application filed February 24, 1919.' Serial No. 278,600.

To all fw hom t may Concern: v

Be it known that I, DAvIDHJoRTH,aciti- Zen of the United States, and resident voi Bridgeport, in the county oi Fairfield` and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Electric Snap-Switches, of which the following isa specification. My invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric snap-switches of the rotary type, and wherein is included an operating spindle and a spring to be tensioned to quickly throw the switch-bar from one position to another `for making and breaking its contact with the terminals.

The purpose of the invention is to genorally improve upon the construction of electric snap-switches of the above class, and especially to yprovide a simple, cheap and durable switch that may be made of sheet metal parts so as to be quickly stamped from sheets and conveniently assembled; rto provide a switch which may be operated to throw the switch-bar from one position to another representing a quarter of a turn, by less than a halt turn ci' the operating button; andlfurther to design the stem y ith-a bearing in both its base and closure cap, and an operating handle upon the outer end whereby the stem may be rotated to operate the switch.

The various further and subsidiary objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description and will then be recited in the claims hereto appended.

Similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and upon which- Y Figure l shows a vertical sectional elevation taken through the central portion of my improved construction 'of snap-switch.

Fig. 2 is a'detached sectional 'elevation of the operating stem l and parts vmounted thereon.

Fig-3 is abottom end view of the stem and cams carried thereby, and also shown in Fig. 2. y y

ig. 4 is a sectional plan` view of the switch-bar, operating stem and spring con necting the two, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the porcelain base upon which the several other parts of the switch are mounted. i Y. y

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon the drawings, 6 represents .the base which may tbe formed of porcelain and is provided. with holes 7 in which jwires are led for attachment. to the binding` posts 8 mounted uponthe top side of the porcelain Each of these binding posts are provided with an' inwardly disposed bladev forming'y a terminalv 9 with which the socket ends of thel switch-bar contact. A central hole l()k is formed inthe body of the base to receivethe lower reduced end l1 of the spindle 12 having Van operating handle 13 attached to its upper end. A sheet metal housingll is seated `upon the porcelain, and provided with hole through which the stem'12 extends 'for the purpose of inclosingVK the operative .parts of the switch. l Y y Y The switch-.barr is i made up of several parts which form the single operable member, and is loosely mounted upon the stem so that both the switch bar and stemv will be susceptible of limited independent rotary movements.k The springl which is positioned around the stemV has'one end secured to the stem at 16 and its other end in engage ment with the switch bar as at 17. This l forms the operative connection between the tvo and insures a spring tensionupon the switch bar bythe turning of the stem. Y

rlvhe switch bar proper consists of lan uppersheet .metal member 18, a lower similar shaped member 19 and a bottom yoke 20 vided with a peripheral shoulder 24 which in practice is engagedby one of the four pawls 25 pivotally mounted upon the base plate 26, iitted within a recess of the porcelain base. These pawls are normally held in operative engagement with the hub and shoulder by an encircling spring 27 that engages their upwardly disposed blade portion 28. These pawls engage with the shoulder 24 in their respective order, with the successive operations ot the switch, and each pawl serves to engage with the shoulder to hold the switch-bar in a fixed position pending the further turning of the stem and the winding of the spring.

In this connection it will be understood that after the spring has been wound sufficiently to impart a Jforce to the switch bar, the second cam 29 mounted lower down upon the stem and fixed thereto will come forward and` disengage the particular pawl which is holding the switch-bar, in a manner to release the stem and to allow it to swing around a quarter turn, when it is again engaged by the next pawl to hold it in alinement with the terminals with which it has become engaged.

Integral with the cam 29 is also formed a ratchet wheel 30 which serves to engage the single spring actuated pawl 8l pivotedly mounted upon the base plate in a way to hold the stem and switch-bar against backward turning. i

From the foregoing it will be seen that a very simply yet practically and durably formed switch is produced, and wherein an effective tension may be quickly applied to the switch-bar and so that when the same is released a quick throw oi' the bar is made from one position to anoth r, to quickly make or break the contact.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A rotary snap switch having a base, a rotary operatingl stem mounted therein, terminal posts, a switch bar rotatably mounted upon the stem to engage and disengage the terminals, a spring yieldably connecting the stem and switch bar, a series ot spring pressed pawls carried by the base to temporarily engage and hold the switch bar against rotation, a cam secured to the stem and adapted to force the pawls outm wardly to successively disengage them in a manner to allow the switch bar to throw against the next pawl in advance of the movement or" said cam,

2. A rotary snap switch having a base, a rotary operating stem mounted therein, ter minal posts, a switch bar rotatably mounted upon the stem to engage and disengage the terminals, a spring yieldably connecting the stem and switch bar, a series o'l' spring pressed pawls carried by the base to teinporarily engage and hold the switch bar against rotation, a cam secured to the stem and adapted to force the pawls outwardly to successively disengage them in a manner to allow the switch bar to throw against the next pawl in advance of the movement of said cam, a fixed pawl, and a ratchet secured to the stem to prevent backward turning of the stem and switch bar.

3. A rotary snap switch having a base, a rotary operating stem mounted therein, terminal posts, a switch-bar rotatably mounted upon the stem and having a hub portion fitted to turn upon the stem and 'provided with a peripheral shoulder, a base plate, series of pawls pivotally mounted upon the plate around the hub to engage its shoulder, acam secured to the stem to engage the pawls to release the switch-bar, and means to prevent backward turning of the stem and switch-bar.

4:. A rotary snap switch having a base, a rotary operating stem mounted therein, terminal posts, a switch-bar rotatably mounted upon the stem and having` a hub portion fitted to turn upon the stem and provided with a peripheral shoulder, a base plate, a series of pawls pivotally mounted upon the plate around the hub 'to engage its shoulder, a single spring encircling the pawls to hold them against the hub and shoulder, a cani secured to the stein to engage the pawls to release the switch-bar, and means to prevent the backward turning oil: the stem and. switch-bar.

5. ln a rotary snap switch, a rotatable stem, a rotatable switch bar mounted thereon, said stem and switch bar capable or limited independent rotations, a spring yieldably connecting the stem and switch bar, a series of spring pressed pawls pivotally supported on the base and adapted to engage the switch bar to hold it against rotation, and means 'for successively forcing` the pawls outwardly to allow the switch bar to be actuated with a snap.

6. ln rotary snap switch, a rotatable stein, a rotatable switch bar mounted thereon. said stem and switch bar capable oit limited independent rotations, a spring yieldably connecting the stem and switch bar, a series oi spring actuated pawls pivotally supported on the base and adapted to engage Jche switch bar to hold it against rotation, and means Ltor successively forcing the pawls outwardly to allow the switch bar to be actuated with a snap, said means comprising a cam secured to said rotatable stem.

Signed at Bridgeport in the county oi Fairtield and State or" Connecticut this 20 day of February, A. D., 191.9.

DAVID HJORTH.

1Witnesses:

C. M. NEWMAN, LILLIAN M. ALLrNo. 

